Phytochemical Screening and Antibacterial Efficacy of Apiary Honey on some bacteria isolated from Diabetic Foot Ulcer

Diabetic wounds unlike typical wounds are slower to heal, making treatment with conventional topical medications an uphill process. Among several different alternative therapies, honey is an effective choice because it provides comparatively rapid wound healing. The apiary honey samples used in this study were purchased from Umudike research Institute Umuahia, in Abia State, Southeastern Nigeria. Phytochemical screening, antibacterial susceptibility test, minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration were performed using standard methods. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of reducing sugar, saponins, glycosides, alkaloids and flavonoids and absence of Terpenoids, Phlobatanins, phenols and tannins. Antibacterial activity of apiary honey on some medically important bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp, Bacillus subtilis, Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa shows that apiary honey exhibit strong antibacterial activity producing zones of inhibition against the tested bacteria. Also, honey sample used in this study showed antibacterial activity than the commercially available antibiotics, both of which were of the same concentration of 2.5ml. The results from this study shows that apiary honey, apart from its roles as food and supplements, could be used as an antibacterial agent, as they may be an excellent alternative to curtail the further spreading of drug resistant bacteria in Nigeria.